HearFromYourMP

Previous message | Messages for this constituency | Next message

News from your Local MP

Posted by Dawn Primarolo, MP for Bristol South, at 15:36, Fri 29 October 2010:

WELCOME!

Here’s the latest edition of my regular newsletter.  If you would prefer not to receive it in future, please respond to this email and I’ll remove you from my mailing list.

FILWOOD PAVILION OFFICIAL OPENING

This afternoon, before heading off to my regular surgery at The Mede, I was asked to cut the ribbon at the opening of the Filwood Pavilion. The Pavilion, adjacent to the playing fields on Creswicke Road, provides much needed changing rooms for the popular football pitches in Knowle West. There are a number of sports teams who use the site, and it was great to see children making the most of football training during their half term break. Well done to everyone who has worked so hard to get the Pavilion up and running, and keep it as a fantastic community resource.

SEVERN BARRAGE SUNK

The new Government’s claims to be the ‘Greenest Ever’ have been made to look ridiculous after they announced that they would not be proceeding with the Severn Barrage. The previous Government commissioned a detailed feasibility study to see how best we could harness the immense power of the Severn, while also preserving the unique habitat of the estuary.  Proceeding with this project would have generated five per cent of our electricity needs through a clean and proven technology.  It would also have created thousands of jobs. It is such a shame that the Government have shown such a lack of ambition on green energy.  We need a mix of sources to meet our energy needs, and we’re just letting this one ebb away. 

IMPROVING BRISTOL'S PUBLIC TRANSPORT - ON HOLD

The Government have put on hold schemes to improve Bristol’s public transport. The Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) scheme was supported by Labour, the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats locally in Bristol, and looked to have secured funding. Unfortunately, new Transport Secretary Philip Hammond has blocked the proposals – sending Bristol away to think again. This will be a prolonged and costly process, with no guarantee of success at the end of it. Suggestions from the Council that BRT could become an ultra-light rail scheme – despite the Government having told Bristol to reduce costs – appear fanciful and removed from reality.

PARKS AND GREEN SPACES STRATEGY

The City Council’s consultation not the sell-off of green spaces in the city is drawing to a close. Unfortunately, the whole consultation process has been shambolic. Residents have found out about proposals to sell-off their precious green space by chance. Understandably, they are upset and angered by the Council’s proposals. The Council’s various forms and websites seem to be designed to make it as difficult as possible for residents to have their say. Despite this, residents have contacted me about three particular areas of concern, and I have written to the Council objecting to these sell-offs. I know that Labour Councillors have been busy commenting on other proposals in Bristol South.

Lots of residents in Knowle, Bishopsworth and Windmill Hill have been in touch with me to express concerns about proposals to dispose of parts of Salcombe Road Recreation Ground, Kings Head Lane Park and all of Higham Street Open Space. Obscure funding proposals mean that there is no guarantee that money will be reinvested in the area where the land is sold off. That could mean that residents near Salcombe Road have a load of new houses on their doorstep without even an additional bench in the park to make up for it. It’s just not fair that land sales in Knowle could end up paying for better facilities in Redland, however much they might be needed.

BRISTOL SAILABILITY

This morning, I helped to launch the boat Aiming High at the harbourside. The Aiming High is a fully accessible boat that will provide sailing opportunities for disabled children and young people.  As a former Children’s Minister, I know how important it is that disabled children have the opportunity to enjoy all of the activities that their non-disabled peers are able to.  Organisations like Bristol Sailability and the Wheelyboat Trust, who are behind the project, are helping disabled people to get out on the water and enjoy Bristol’s fantastic harbourside.  The previous Government’s Aiming High for Disabled Children programme showed that we should never limit the ambitions of disabled children and young people.  The Aiming High will help to put this strategy into action.

COMPREHENSIVE SPENDING REVIEW

I have been inundated with comments from residents who are concerned by the Government’s Comprehensive Spending Review. The Government seem determined to implement cuts which are too drastic, too deep and too soon.  These cuts aren’t just numbers on a spreadsheet.  They will mean fears for jobs in Knowle, Hengrove families worried about losing their homes and Windmill Hill residents missing out on tax credits.  Not a corner of Bristol South will be left untouched by this Government’s ideologically driven attack on the users and employees of public services. I will continue to do all that I can to stand up for Bristol South residents.

SOUTHVILLE CENTRE NURSERY

I was delighted to officially open new facilities at the Southville Centre Nursery recently. These brilliant new rooms mean that the Centre can take extra children.  This is particularly important in Southville, where there are lots of families with young children, and can be long waiting lists for nursery places.  Earlier in the year, along with local councillor Sean Beynon, I met with parents in Southville who were concerned by the lack of nursery provision in the area.  I was, therefore, very pleased to write a letter supporting First Steps’ application for additional funding from the Council, and was delighted to hear the application was successful.  It was great to see for myself what the hard work of staff and volunteers has been able to achieve.

ANY QUESTIONS?

If you have any queries about these issues, or have a question you would like to ask about anything else, please do not hesitate to get in touch. Just email primarolod@parliament.uk, phone 0117 909 0063 or write to me at PO Box 1002, Bristol, BS99 1WH.